The 20 Women Every Twentysomething Needs in Her Life

Because it takes a village to survive this butthole of a decade.

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1. The college friend who has seen you puke in your purse. Now that you've got it together (sort of), it's good to keep those friends from the days when you were wobbling on platform heels at Senor Frog's.

2. The childhood best friend you kind of lost touch with, but are still close to. Some very old friendships don't require those constant catch-ups, which is a refreshing change from the current friends you are in constant text communication with ("Just washed my hair!" "So weirdddd I just bought some KALE!").

3. The cool older woman. Perhaps it is the youngish aunt who first bought you beer or your awesomely wise former professor who currently has your dream career and once slept with Keith Richards. Someone who treats you to nice dinners, shares their wisdom, and would totally drive you to get an abortion if you asked her.

4. The co-worker/ally. Someone to GChat-bitch with when your boss is being insane is essential. Without her, you will develop a rage-tumor and die.

5. The nurturing roommate. Coming home to someone who's, say, wearing your dress without asking and doing coke off the counter is a nightmare. Coming home to a soft-spoken, lovely roommate who shares her macaroni and cheese with you? A dream.

6. The married friend (if you are unmarried). To provide a fresh perspective, and also to hook you up with her husband's friends.

7. And vice versa. To force you to occasionally stay out late and party, rather than have a quiet night in with the husbo watching a marathon of Rumpole of the Bailey, or whatever married people watch.

8. The wannabe Manic Pixie Dream Girl. You know, that one friend who insists on listening to music on old-school headphones and wears ski hats with cat ears. She's fun most of the time, when she's not crying over beautiful architecture or courting a schlubby, passive guy in a movie! She will make you feel sane in comparison.

9. The non-judgmental medical student. Can't make it to Planned Parenthood and need someone to look at something weird on your vagina real quick? That's what iPhones are for. (Or Photo Booth, if you are limber.)

10. A non-dude bartender you're on a first-name basis with. The male counterpart can veer into making-out-outside territory, especially if you are pounding 'em down over a guy. But a female bartender can sympathize with your troubles and hand you a free shot.

11. The foodie who's never on a diet. Because when you get tired of going to dinner with friends who order one piece of arugula ("I'm lactose-intolerant!"), she's there with a Groupon for a four-star cheese-and chocolate-fondue meal.

12. The single, independent, slightly older woman. She's cool with waiting until she's 40 to find her life partner, and she doesn't believe in traditional marriage. She does, however, believe in going to movies on weeknights and taking $30 cabs.

13. The girl with impeccable taste. Think Gwyneth Paltrow without the, um, Gwyneth Paltrow. Whether it's clothes, events, makeup, books, décor, this girl's Pinterest account is like porn. You know no matter what you crib from her, you will be getting endless compliments. Her hair is made of a rainbow.

14. The girl with the exact opposite career as you. If you work in fashion, she works in politics. If you're a lawyer, she works for a non-profit. Having a glass of post-work wine with her without talking shop, like you do with most of your other friends, is an educational palate-cleanser.

15. The YOLO friend. If you wake up on a train to Flagstaff, Ariz., wearing the head of a high school sports mascot costume, it's probably because of an ill-fated series of decisions she made.

16. The super-anal friend who loves planning things. You can hardly wrangle more than four people in a room at once. But sending Evites and calling multiple vendors trying to find the cheapest options for monogrammed napkins is like crack for her.

17. The unrelentingly cheerful girl. On the days that it doesn't make you want to drive an ice pick through her eye, her Charlotte York mentality will cheer you up during your most melodramatic, fatalistic anxiety attacks.

18. The truth-talker. She'll tell you what's up, even if you don't want to hear it. That skirt makes you look pregnant. That thing you retweeted from that asshole guy you like wasn't funny.

19. The shameless hustler. One of those women who Leans In so hard that she almost falls on her face. She uses the cringe-worthy phrase "personal brand" in personal conversation. While you might not be as unabashedly self-promotional as she is, you can probably take a cue from her and be a little pushier professionally.

20. And finally, the best friend. Obviously. Not a frenemy, not a talk-behind-your-back friend, not a friend of convenience, but a true BFF. You won't make it without her.